Never ending
by JustMeAndMyKeyboard
Summary: What if Regina wasn't the only person who knew their real identity? What if she had orchestrated events so Snow knew too? What if Snow had to live out a day where her husband never woke up and her baby girl was in an orphanage? How will Snow get her family back together?
1. Chapter 1

_So…it's been a while. Truth be told, my life has been rather shit recently. What do I do when shit hits the fan? I write OUAT fanfiction. So, here we are. I was thinking about one of my oneshots, and thought I'd turn it into a mini story. So I hope you all enjoy._

Snow could hear Regina's cruel laugh ringing through the palace. She didn't care. What could her stepmother do to her now? She had taken her baby girl from her, and now it appeared she was slowly losing her husband too. Snow didn't even look up from Charming's face when she heard Regina enter Emma's nursery. Snow's eyes were overflowing with tears.

"Well, you've got what you wanted." Snow said quietly. "You won." Regina came closer, her smile only widening.

"Oh no, sweet Snow, this is only the beginning." Regina warned her. Snow did not respond. She could not taunt her anymore. Snow's heart was crushed. Regina crouched down and forced Snow to look at her. Snow's pain filled Regina with great joy, but like she said, this was only the beginning. Snow could hardly see her stepmother. Her vision was blurry with her tears. She could hear the thunder getting closer. The screams of her friends growing louder all around her. This was the end of their world as they knew it.

"Do whatever you want, Regina." Snow said, her voice broken. "You've already won. You've taken my daughter. I cannot save my husband. Whatever you do now, I've lost everything." Regina chuckled, still clutching Snow's chin.

"Oh Snow White. Pure, innocent, Snow White. Your husband is not dying. He will survive this injury." Regina told her. This puzzled Snow. All Regina had tried to do since Snow had met Charming was try and kill one or both of them. Why the sudden change of heart?

With a brief wave of her hand over her husband, Charming seemed to settle. The blood stopped flowing from his side. He looked in much less pain. Snow was deeply suspicious.

"What have you done to him?" Snow demanded.

"I've stopped him from dying." Regina responded coolly.

"Why?" Snow continued. She knew Regina wasn't doing this out of the goodness of her heart. She had a motive. Regina crouched down so she and Snow were eye level.

"Your husband will live, Snow. He will be in a permanent state of sleep, and there will be nothing you can do to wake him." Regina explained. Snow felt like Regina had stomped on her heart, but she wasn't done hurting her yet.

"Then there is your precious baby to think about." Regina continued dryly.

"Leave her out of this." Snow snarled. "You have already taken her parents from her for the next twenty seven and a half years. She will never see her father awake again. You leave her alone."

"Oh, I won't be touching her. I am many things, but not a child killer. She is safe and well. You'll see for yourself soon enough." Regina promised her. Snow didn't understand. Didn't Regina want to separate them for good? Wasn't Emma meant to be somewhere safe in the land without magic. Regina laughed once more.

"Did you really trust Rumplestiltskin?" Regina asked. "I didn't think even _you_ were that naïve." Regina shook her head. She hadn't thought this would be so easy. "Your daughter is safe and sound where we will all be going shortly. Only, the thing is, you won't be able to care for her." Regina explained. "You and I will share the privilege of remembering who we are. Nobody else will remember anything. They will have completely different lives. Your precious princess will be a poor little orphan, abandoned by her worthless mother. Every day, you will be forced to live out the same day over and over again. Your little brat will forever be a screaming baby, wondering where her parents have gone. You won't be able to help her. She will forever live out the day you left her."

"No!" Snow demanded as the purple clouds began to snake their way into the room. "Please!" Snow begged. "Don't take them from me." Regina just cackled as the purple clouds began to swallow them all up. This was it. This was the beginning of Regina's never-ending happy ending.


	2. Chapter 2

_I need to get up for school._

 _What day am I doing hospital rounds this week?_

 _Where did I leave my car keys?_

 _Will I go to Granny's for breakfast?_

 _Did I pay Mr Gold rent for this month yet?_

 _Charming. Emma._

Snow sat bolt upright in her bed, clutching her aching head. Her eyes were still screwed tight shut. Her head was swimming with information. Not all of it connected. After a few minutes, she was able to open her eyes just a fraction. She was in somewhere familiar and safe, yet somewhere new and strange. This was home, but this was also far away. She was a fourth-grade teacher, but she was also a queen. She was Mary Margaret Blanchard, but she was also Snow White. She was alone, but she had a family. Snow's heart started pounding as her true memories swam to the surface, crowding through the ones she now realised where for the alias Regina had cursed her with. Charming. He was still alive! Snow didn't know whether to be relieved or terrified. Regina had purposefully kept him alive. She didn't know why, but knew it wasn't for her benefit. She was sure that, whatever her reasons, Regina wouldn't make her husband easy to find. Even when Snow did find him (which she always did), only she had retained her true memories. Snow's heart sank. Her husband would have no idea who she was. Well, not until she kissed him. True love's kiss could break any curse. Of course, Charming wasn't her only true love in town anymore. Somewhere, in this strange new land Snow was sure was called Storybrooke, was their baby girl. Their Emma. Regina had kept their daughter close by. They were in the same town. Snow jumped out of bed, her head still pounding, and rushed to get dressed. Her family was somewhere in this strange new world. She had to find them.

Snow didn't even know where to begin looking for her husband and daughter. She couldn't think where her stepmother would hide them from her. Somewhere cruel. Somewhere in plain sight where Snow could almost touch them. Almost, but not quite. So Snow began at the heart of this sleepy little town Regina had landed them in: Granny's. From her fake knowledge, Snow knew that basically everybody in town passed through the diner at least once a day for something or other. Mary Margaret would always pop in for coffee on her way to school in the morning, then sometimes for dinner of an evening. So it felt natural to begin there.

"Morning, Mary Margaret!"

"Hey Miss Blanchard!"

"Beautiful day, isn't it Mary Margaret?"

Snow didn't know how to respond to these casual greetings. They were all from her friends, except none of them knew they were her friends. None of them remembered themselves. Snow was scared if she tried to answer anybody she would slip up and use their real names. That was a slippery slope. Snow knew in this world their land was but stories. If she went around declaring herself a fairy tale princess, well, most people here wouldn't take too kindly to it. She had to lay low. For the sake of her family.

Snow slipped through the door of Granny's and walked up the counter. She smiled warmly at Granny, at least she had kept her own name. If her personality was somewhat more gloomy than her real self.

"The usual, Mary Margaret?" She asked grumpily.

"Please." Mary Margaret responded. She knew what was coming. A black coffee with a little sugar. Just the way she liked it.

Snow took her drink and sat at an empty booth near the back of the diner, purely observing. Thinking of what to do next. Where could her family be? Did Charming have Emma already? Were they both safe? So many questions whizzed around Snow's head so fast she thought she'd make herself dizzy. That's when the unexpected happened. One of Snow's answers practically fell right into her lap. A flustered looking woman Snow didn't recognise came into the diner backwards, pulling a stroller with her. The infant in the stroller was screaming their lungs out. Snow would recognise that cry anywhere, even though she'd only heard it one time. There was no mistaking it. Snow was about to get her daughter back.

Snow left her mug on the table and sprinted over to the flustered woman wheeling in her baby.

"Let me help you." Snow insisted. Of course, truth be told, Snow cared little for assisting the stranger. All she wanted was her daughter. The woman grunted a quick thanks to Snow. A dreadful thought filled Snow's mind. What if Emma had been given a brand new family in this world? What if Regina had made her baby somebody else's? "Is she yours?" Snow quickly blurted out. The woman was too exhausted to notice the weird tone in which Snow asked such an already strange question. She simply snorted.

"You've got enough of the home kids at the elementary to know the answer to that. Just because she's a baby doesn't mean I'll be keeping her. As soon as a proper family comes I'll be shot of her and her crying. She's a loud one this." She explained. Snow relaxed slightly. Regina had followed through on her promise. Her little girl was an orphan. Frozen in her first day of life. Completely confused and alone. Her heart broke for her tiny baby. She would not let her be alone in the world any longer.

"Oh, I think she's a sweetheart." Snow cooed. She reached out her hand to brush her fingers against Emma's cheek, but the woman quickly swatted her hand away.

"Woh there! She came under…unusual circumstances. Completely abandoned newborn. Don't know what the mother was thinking, leaving a newborn outside in the woods with just a blanket to keep her warm. She's lucky to be alive. We can't risk her getting infected before we get her checked over." The woman explained. Snow became frustrated.

"I'm a teacher, I'm perfectly clean." She half growled.

"Don't take offence, Mary Margaret. You might be, but think of all the germs you're surrounded by? Sorry, can't risk it. While she's under my care, I play by the rules. I'm hardly handling her, let alone anyone else." That made Snow want to scream herself. Did nobody understand Emma's cries? Her little girl just wanted to be made to feel safe. Why couldn't she hold her? Before Snow could beg this stranger to hold her own daughter, a cold voice cut in from behind her.

"Feeling broody, Miss Blanchard?" Snow felt her teeth clamp together. Her fists closed tightly as she spun around to confront Regina. Snow saw the smirk across her face. She couldn't touch her, not without dire consequences.

"As…adorable as this poor little orphan is, don't you have your own class to be preparing for? I'm sure you wouldn't want to be late. Who knows what could happen if you were?" Regina said pointedly. Snow fought hard to keep herself from crying. So this was to be it. Regina's daily torture part one. Every morning Snow would be forced to hear her daughter's screams for help and be unable to so much as hold her. Still, Snow would not give up. She at least now knew Emma was in a safe location. That was enough for now.

"I suppose you're right, Madam Mayor." Snow responded, equally coldly, as she strode past the Evil Queen.

"If you so much as touch her, I will make sure you burn." Snow hissed as she passed by her. The Evil Queen chuckled darkly.

"Why would I do a thing like that? Who knows where the little brat's been? You certainly don't, do you?" Regina quipped. Snow tried not to show her anger as she stormed away from the diner and towards the school. She knew what lessons she had planned for today. They would be the same lessons she would end up doing tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. This was the beginning of an endless loop. Well, until Snow found a way to break it. The next step was finidng her husband.


	3. Chapter 3

_So…it has been a hot minute, huh? Well, long story short: life. I'm on holiday ATM so I have some spare time. I won't lie, season 7 disillusioned me with Once. So watching it from season 1 (with the intention of forgetting season 7 existed) has reminded me why I loved Once in the first place. So, I'm deciding to have another crack at writing._

 _On that note, I'm swithering about whether to open back up OCF. I've been reading back through them from the beginning, and it's been very therapeutic. The only "rules" I'd keep would be must contain at least 2 Charming family members, and no main focus ships outside of Snowing. No topic off limits, nada. Lemme know what you think._

Snow had no idea how she got through that day in her classroom. In one way, it was the first time she'd ever taught, especially in this strange new world. In another way, she'd been teaching fourth grade for years. She was astounded her brain could hold two different lives when one could be complicated enough. All Snow could really think about was her family. Where was her husband? Now that Regina knew Snow knew about her daughter, would she back out on her promise and send Emma away? There was also the possibility that Regina would make Snow forget them both altogether, which was more than she could take.

Somehow, Snow managed to stumble her way through the day as Miss Blanchard, teaching using strange technologies that, frankly, intimidated Snow a little bit. Snow was amazed that nobody else seemed to be picking up that she was out of sorts. They were all walking around ever so slightly dazed. Like their collective heads were in the clouds. In a way, Snow supposed they were.

Once the school day was over, Snow knew she had a finite time to spend searching for her family before little Mary Margaret would be expected to be at home, tucked up in bed ready for the next school day. Snow knew her husband was locked in a kind of sleeping curse. Where would a person who couldn't wake be in a world like this? Snow might not have the fainted idea; but Mary Margaret did.

 _The hospital._

Images filled Snow's head. A strange place filled with sick people, strange beeping noises and people dressed in white. This was where her husband was? Yes, Snow was sure now. This was where Mary Margaret spent a couple of hours a week visiting the sick…but she didn't remember ever seeing David. Still, Snow had to try. She at least knew Emma was safe. Once she could say the same for her husband, she could begin to work out how to break this curse and regain her family.

None of the staff at the hospital questioned Mary Margaret's appearance, despite it not being her day for visiting. Snow didn't give anyone an opportunity to question her. From her false memories, she had a rough idea of where her husband would be if he was in this strange infirmary. All around Snow were strange and mysterious things that made her want to jump out her own skin. Beds on wheels, trays filled with sharp and mysterious objects (were they weapons?). Men and women striding through in crisp white uniforms, rushing from room to room. Snow dearly hoped her intimidation didn't show on her face, otherwise someone might ask her to leave.

Snow spent the next hour wandering through the rooms of the hospital, looking for a familiar face. Each new room sent her hope plummeting further and further down. Occasionally, someone would stop Snow and ask her if she was looking for a particular patient. Each time Snow would smile politely and say not to worry, she knew where she was going. Fortunately, they all seemed too busy to question her further and left her to wander. Snow's heart broke at the loneliness on the people in the bed's faces. Until this curse was broken, they'd be forced to live out each day in pain and alone on a hospital bed. Snow badly wanted to stop and at least try to cheer some of them up, but she couldn't. Not until she knew where her Charming was. Snow was just about to give up and think about where else he might be, when, out of the corner of her eye, a new room caught Snow's attention. A room in which Mary Margaret had never stepped foot. A room containing a man for whom visitors were not permitted. Snow paid no attention to that sign, for that man was her husband.

"Charming." Snow breathed, relieved she had at least found him. Like Regina said, he was clearly under a sleeping curse. Well, not for long. A quick glance around assured Snow that nobody important was around to stop her. She slid herself inside the clear door of the room and nearly sprinted to Charming's bedside. A smile spread across her face. Regina had made it too easy for them. Had she not learned yet that she and Charming would _always_ find each other? She took Charming's hand and held it close to her chest as she leaned down.

"This will all be over soon." She promised him. "Then we can get our daughter back." Snow pressed her lips against his and then…nothing. Snow's eyes flew open in shock. No. _No._ This was true love's kiss. True love's kiss broke any curse! Then, Snow heard a sick and twisted chuckle coming from behind her. Snow felt fire begin to burn in the pit of her stomach. Her nostrils flared. She didn't need to turn around to see who was laughing at her misery. She knew exactly who it was.

"Go away." Snow snarled. She would not give Regina the pleasure of demanding an answer to a question Snow knew she would not provide.

"Did you really think it would be that simple?" Regina sneered. "That I would let another sickening kiss end my fun?" Snow didn't answer. She had no answer for her. She _did_ think it would be that simple. It always had been before. She heard Regina walk up close behind her. "True love's kiss can only work if one person remains uncursed, dear. Your curse might be different, but it is equally as powerful." Regina reminded her. "While you all remain her cursed, true love simply won't do, I'm afraid." Regina sighed. Snow felt like breaking down then and there, but she refused in front of the Evil Queen. "Now, I don't believe you're meant to be in here, are you _Miss Blanchard_?" Regina pointed out smugly. "No visitors for this poor John Doe. We simply can't get to the bottom of why he's sick." Regina told her. Snow was furious. She knew exactly why her husband wouldn't wake up, but there was nothing she could do to. Keeping her dignity, Snow turned and faced her stepmother.

"This is far from over." Snow told her. "I will not rest until my husband is awake and we have our daughter back." Regina just smiled at her.

"Good luck with that dear. Especially when none of you can leave this town. Just how do you think you'll get your happy ending when I'm always right behind you?" Regina said menacingly. "Watch your back, Snow White.

"You're the one who needs to watch their back." Snow snarled. Regina wasn't threatened in the slightest. For now, she held the upper hand.

"Oh, temper temper, Miss Blanchard. Much like that nasty care home worker here. I might have to relocate all those poor orphans. Who knows where they'd end up?" Snow bit her tongue, she didn't want to make things worse for Emma. Although Regina had already given Snow some help. True, none of them could leave Storybrooke, but Regina then couldn't send Emma away either. Snow knew until she broke this damn curse that her little girl was safe in the same town as her. Snow left Regina and walked briskly back home, hardly returning the greetings from her old friends. She had to think of how to beat this. With no back up from her old friends, it was going to be a difficult and lonely battle, but Snow had her suspicions of where she might begin. A certain imp, who Snow believed now ran a pawn shop on Main Street. That was a job for tomorrow. Until then, Snow had to pretend like everything was normal. The more obvious she made her moves, the easier she made it for Regina to mess with her plans. She had to be as normal as the town expected Mary Margaret Blanchard to be. She opened her wardrobe to get an outfit ready for the next day, when something unusual caught her eye. A book. What was a book doing in her wardrobe? Snow picked it up and looked at the front cover.

 _Once Upon A Time_

Puzzled, Snow opened it up. Her eyes widened as she viewed the illustrations. This was no ordinary storybook. This book was about her, and all the others trapped by Regina's curse.


	4. Chapter 4

Slowly but surely, Snow was settling into being both herself and Mary Margaret. Or, more accurately, settling into Mary Margaret's schedule and expectations. Straight after school the next day, Snow headed down Main Street towards Mr Gold's pawn shop. Unfortunately for her, she was out of luck. Mr Gold was out conducting other business. When she tried again the next day, she found him inside alright, but confronting a rather terrified looking Happy. If Snow didn't have her own problems, she would have jumped in and tried to help, but she wasn't the queen here. As much as it pained her to leave a friend to the wrath of the Dark One, she had to protect her own family first.

It took Snow until the weekend to find a time where Gold was in his shop alone. This could be her only shot for weeks. Every day that she had to hear her little girl scream out, scared and alone. Every day that she had to know her husband was at the mercy of the doctors controlled by Regina. Well, it was another day not worth living for Snow White. Snow quietly made her way into the dark and gloomy store. The little bell rang behind her, but Rumpl- Mr Gold- did not turn around. He was busy polishing a strange candlestick.

"Just a moment." He muttered to Snow. "Whoever you are, if you're here to quibble about your rent, you're wasting your time, dearie."

"I'm not here about rent." Snow said calmly. She pulled the book out from under her coat. She daren't let Regina catch her with the mysterious book. She had a strong suspicion that there was more to this book than met the eye. Especially since it so accurately depicted all their stories, right up until the curse hit. Snow had no idea how it wound up in her house. She just hoped it meant somebody was on her side. Somebody else was awake. "I'm actually hoping you can help me with an item." Snow explained. Gold sighed, weary from this work.

"Well it better be something good." He grumbled. "I'm not in the charity business, Miss Blanchard." Gold warned her as he turned around, still not paying her much attention. "What tat have you come to flog off on me today?"

"I'm not selling." Snow explained, thumping the book up onto the counter. "I need your help."

"I'm also not in the storytelling business." Gold added. "It's encouraging to know the children of Storybrooke are in such great hands with an illiterate teacher."

"I don't need your help with reading the book." Snow hissed, becoming impatient. "I need your help with something far more complicated." Snow tried. She opened the book to one of the pages featuring her and Rumplestiltskin. Gold peered down at the page, seemingly uninterested. Snow looked straight into his eyes, looking desperately for any sign that he was awake. Unfortunately for Snow, she could tell that his eyes were fogged over in the same way as the other residents of Storybrooke. Could this book be the key to waking everybody? She had to try. Nobody here seemed to remember much anyway. Even if Snow did make a fool of herself, and the former Dark One thought her crazy, he would forget come nightfall. She took a risk. She moved her index finger slowly across the page until she was pointing at the imp's face.

"This is you and me meeting for the first time." Snow explained. Gold smirked.

"I think it's a little early to be inebriated, Miss Blanchard. I suggest you go home and sleep it off before someone else sees you…"

"This _is_ you and me. I _am_ Snow White, and _you_ , you are the Dark One. You are Rumplestiltskin." Snow said firmly. She watched his face again. She watched as his expression changed to somewhat puzzled. She watched as the fogginess cleared from his eyes. Snow's face broke out into a smile. She knew it! This book could wake up her husband.

"I knew it!" Snow declared. "I knew this book would wake you up…"

"The book did not wake me, dearie." Rumple told her. "My name did." Snow's heart fell slightly.

"Charming's not awake. Saying his name will do no good…but I can begin to wake up our friends…" Snow's train of thought was interrupted by the Dark One's laugh.

"You can go around shouting out fairytale character names if you so wish, dearie. All that will do is earn you a one way ticket to the psychiatric ward. I am the only one who could be woken by use of my real name." Gold smirked. "A little cavieat I added for myself." He explained. Snow frowned. Of course Rumplestiltskin would be so selfish.

"Well now that you _are_ awake, can you explain to me how this book ended up in my wardrobe?" Snow quizzed him. "I've never seen it before, not even in my memories as Mary Margaret. It contains all our stories, our _real_ stories. Clearly somebody else here is awake." Snow explained eagerly.

"Not necessarily." Rumple cut her down. "This may be the land without magic, dearie, but bringing over hundreds of people from another realm was bound to cause a fluctuation. I suggest to you that book was merely a wish made at the right time. That book cannot break the curse, but I think it could be useful. It certainly led you to me, for a start." Rumple pointed out.

"So now you can help me?" Snow suggested. Rumple smirked again.

"You're on your own just now. I simply won't get in your way." Rumple told her. That wasn't the answer Snow was hoping for. She was becoming impatient. For a week now every morning she was greeted by the sound of her baby girl screaming, crying out for her. Seeing the hospital looming over the entire town, knowing her husband was in there. She just wanted this to be over.

"Can you at least give me some kind of hint?" Snow sighed. What use was having Rumplestiltskin awake if he refused to help her? He wasn't exactly Snow's first choice for an ally.

"Well, I don't know about breaking the curse, but have you considered giving your husband a little bedtime story? Just because it won't help him remember his true self, doesn't mean it won't do any good." Rumplestiltskin suggested. Snow nodded, gathering the book back under her jacket. As she turned to leave, she spotted something in the shop window. Something deeply familiar. A beautiful glass mobile that had hung over her daughter's crib back home. Snow slowly approached her mobile. Her heart feeling as fragile as the ornate little unicorns. She held one carefully in the palm of her hand. She made a vow to herself. One day, this mobile would hang back over her daughter's head.

"Why do you have this?" Snow asked him.

"Well dearie, without magic, I needed some leverage over the people of this charming little town. I find prized possessions and homes will do in a pinch." Rumple explained.

"When I break this curse, I will be reclaiming that, as well as anything else that belongs to my family." Snow informed him, leaving the store. As Snow left, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She turned her head and saw Regina staring at her from the other end of Main Street. Snow simply gave her a smile. To onlookers, there was nothing untoward about the gesture. To Regina, however, the message was loud and clear:

 _You haven't beaten me._


End file.
